Trade ministers visit crocodile farm

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
DELEGATES attending the 24th Apec trade ministers meeting in Port Moresby visited the crocodile farm outside Lae on Sunday.
Sixty-three delegates visited Mainland Holdings’ Crocodile Farm at 8-Mile as part of their Lae tour.
They visited the incubator, nursery pens, breeding pens and abattoir.
The farm is one of the largest and oldest producer of saltwater crocodile skins in the Southern Hemisphere.
It operates under a Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA)-approved crocodile management programme in PNG.
Managing director David Alcock said the company was very fortunate to be part of the itinerary at this time of promoting Papua New Guinea to the world.
“It is a very special time for PNG,” he said.
“The opportunities from Apec are going to be quite significant.
“Mainland Holdings would like to launch our own range of luxury products, especially crocodile products.
“I can see a huge opportunity coming from Apec and Mainland Holdings certainly will do anything to be a part of that.”
The company currently exports crocodile skins to fashion houses in France and Japan.
“What can come out of this visit is we can also sell our products to Australia and New Zealand and throughout Apec countries, so people can enjoy the crocodile products made from crocodiles in PNG,” Alcock said.
“It could help start a whole new industry for us.”